Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal SFC final: Kilcar 0-7 Naomh Conaill, Glenties 0-4
KILCAR bridged a 24-year gap to claim a long-awaited Donegal county title in a snooze-fest of a final in Ballybofey.
But the men from Towney Bay won’t mind in the slightest and they will now face Scotstown in the Ulster Club SFC in a fortnight’s time.
Once again the McHugh brothers played a big part in their victory.
Midfielder Mark was a deserved winner of the man of the match award while younger brother Ryan kicked the final clinching point, a monster effort from 45 metres, to seal an emotional victory.
Naomh Conaill’s tale of woe was complete when they lost Dermot Molloy (two yellows) and Eoghan McGettigan to red cards in the dying minutes.
Naomh Conaill came with a plan to stifle Kilcar’s running game and their tactics made for a real cat-and-mouse affair.
Mark McHugh got the opening score after 53 seconds as both teams showed loads of big match nerves.
The pace was really pedestrian as both sides put 13 men behind the ball when not in possession.
Kilcar always looked the more inventive team, however, and moved into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead by the 28th minute with Conor Doherty, captain Paddy McBrearty and former Donegal star Michael Hegarty all on target.
Glenties replied through Ciaran Thompson and Molloy.
The winners led 0-6 to 0-3 at half-time and incredibly only two more points were scored in the entire second half from Eunan Doherty and Ryan McHugh.
But euphoric Kilcar will not mind the turgid manner of victory as they eye an extended Ulster campaign.
And for an ecstatic Eoin McHugh the way they ended their long wait for the title did not matter in the slightest.
“I can’t believe it,” he said.
“To be beaten so many times and then to come back and do it today it is just wonderful.
“Everyone was putting us down and it is just so great to get this victory.
“We don’t care and we won a championship.”
McHugh said it was Kilcar’s cast iron defence that “came through for us today”.
“There was a big improvement there and Michael Hegarty did a great job sweeping,” he said.
For the first quarter, both teams were like dentists patiently probing a cavity and their cautious approach made for very boring fare.
The sides were content to sit back like a cat waiting for a mouse, with packed defences resulting in a real snooze-fest.
Kilcar were quickly off the mark after just 53 seconds when their beavering midfielder Mark McHugh struck a fine long-range point.
Glenties were on the defensive, determined not to allow Kilcar to get into a free-flowing rhythm.
They detailed youngster Eunan Doherty to shadow Ryan McHugh and it worked for around 20 minutes.
Glenties midfielder Ciaran Thompson hit a superbly-struck effort with the outside of his boot to level matters on five minutes.
That was as good as it got, however, during one of the most boring opening half-hours you are ever likely to see.
But, of the two, Kilcar were slightly the more enterprising team and Doherty put them back in the lead after a clever pass from Ryan McHugh.
Molloy levelled matters for Glenties through a free that was brought forward for dissent in the 11th minute.
But that was their last score for almost 20 minutes as Kilcar made most of the running up to half-time.
Skipper McBrearty lifted the tedium somewhat with a well-converted point in the 18th minute.
The Donegal forward then went on to convert a very tricky free from the wing as well as another long-range effort to put some daylight between the sides.
And veteran Michael Hegarty helped to push Kilcar to a 0-6 to 0-2 lead by the 28th minute.
Glenties seemed to have lost their way, but they were given a glimmer of hope when Anthony Thompson burst through the Kilcar defence and was fouled. Dermot Molloy converted the free to leave Kilcar with an interval lead of 0-6 to 0-3.
Incredibly there was to be only two scores after the break as both sides were content to play keep-ball at a pedestrian pace.
However, Glenties inability to get their scores cost them dearly according to ex-Naomh Conaill star John Gildea,
“It is disappointing, Kilcar are a good side and we set out our stall to stop them as best we can,” he said.
“But at some point you have to try and go and win the game and four points will not win you a county final.
“Kilcar deserved it, they got the scores better and overall we can have no complaints.”
Kilcar: E McGinley; B McGinley, C McShane, P Carr; R McHugh (0-1), M Hegarty (0-1), B Shovlin; C McGinley, M McHugh (0-1); E McHugh, C Doherty (0-1), M McClean; S McBrearty, P McBrearty (0-3, 0-2 frees), A McClean
Subs: M Sweeney for A McClean (50) B McGinley for S Shovlin (57), A Carr for M McClean
Naomh Conaill: S McGrath; K McGettigan, AJ Gallagher, J Campbell; U Doherty, A Thompson, E Waide; L McLoone, C Thompson (0-1); M Boyle, D Molloy (0-2 frees), E O’Donnell; B McDyer, E McGettigan, E Doherty (0-1)
Subs: A Thompson for McGettigan (16), J O’Malley for U Doherty (44), J McLoone for E Doherty (49), C Gallagher for J Campbell (53), L Thompson for Boyle (56)
Referee: E McFeely
